It’s been almost two years since Tobias Harris played for the Philadelphia 76ers, but his name still isn’t endearing among the fan base. Many people were desperate for the team to cut ties with him even when he was still in the early stages of that infamous albatross contract, and that sentiment only intensified as his deal neared expiration, all the way to the summer of 2024.
Harris then remained in the East, albeit with a completely different team in Detroit, where he was given a new two-year, $52 million deal. His first full season with the Pistons went well, as he provided some much-needed stability and veteran presence for such a young team. However, that script has been flipped so far in this campaign.
Detroit leads the East with a 9-2 mark so far, but none of that can really be attributed to Harris. He played just six games this season and missed the last five. But injury aside, he has been far from impressive in the games where he has performed well – something the 76ers know well in the current operating context.
Pistons fans now understand why 76ers fans wanted nothing to do with Tobias Harris
Harris is in the final year of his short contract, and like his last few seasons with the 76ers, he has put up disappointing numbers.
In 32.2 minutes per game, Harris has put up 13.5 points, six rebounds and 2.8 assists – counting stats that don’t seem too bad to warrant a rant session. However, it’s his shooting that deserves vindictive scrutiny, as he’s drained just 39.4 percent of his shots, including a paltry 28.6 percent success from beyond the three-point line.
The Pistons are clearly planning on making a deep playoff run this season and then some. If Harris doesn’t improve on these numbers, there is more than enough reason for their coaching staff to look at other options to fill the important minutes handed to him.
After all, Detroit has been humming latelyand their current identity, which is based on being a hard-nosed, defensive-minded team, will remain intact even without Harris part of the equation.
It’s not like Harris is a perennial playoff riser either. Sure, he put up good numbers for Detroit in their six playoff games last season, but that’s his usual M.O.: He can play good for stretches, but bad for longer stretches.
Of course, the 76ers can’t possibly support an up-and-coming rival like the Pistons. But in this case, there is certainly room for common understanding, especially if Tobias Harris keeps up his act of disappearing.
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